This week I decided to sit down with one of Cairn’s very own, Lizzie Walker. During Walker’s first year here, she was a part of the Urban Ministry First Year Program. Now she is a Senior in the School of Social Work who has plans of graduating in December of 2018. Walker is a huge fan of coffee and the band Switchfoot (she is stoked that Jon Foreman is coming to Cairn on April 28th!!).

Many of you probably had the chance to meet Lizzie sometime over the last couple weeks, as she probably asked you to sign a petition. Walker was eager to sit down with me and provide you (the students) more information and the reasoning behind the petition and how it all started.

The petition first came out of a Student Assembly meeting that was hosted a couple of weeks prior; the students who were at this meeting were given the chance to vote to make a change in the Student Constitution. Walker explained, “In that meeting, we discussed what the voting process would look like for the next President and Vice President of Student Government Association (SGA) since both positions are open for the next school year…” SGA informed the club members that a student-wide election was desirable, but since they were short on time, they preferred to not perform that type of election this school year. Instead, the Assembly was given two options: have the next SGA leaders be appointed by Student Life, or just have the Assembly members vote. Walker went on to say, “When we asked why we couldn’t have a student-wide election this year, we were told that there wasn’t enough time or enough student interest.” Walker started thinking… “It’s a general human tendency to make time for the things we care about. For example, I just started to get into mountain biking. I don’t necessarily have time to ride, but I think it’s fun and it gives me an opportunity to spend time with my friends, so I make time to do it.”

Having this in mind Walker came up with the idea that, “If we can show that students really do care, we can make the time to host a student-wide election this year, instead of pushing it off to next year.” And as simple as that, a petition was made.

SEQUINO: What was the reaction from students you were hoping to get?

WALKER: The main goal was to set out to show that students are not as apathetic as everybody thinks we are. Some of the greatest movements in history were started by young people. We are willing to lead and take risks in ways that we will not be the older we get, because at this point, we don’t have much to lose. Throughout this process I had a wide range of great conversations with people. Some students were even willing to tell me why the petition was a bad idea, which I thought was really helpful. Those conversations allowed me to hear other perspectives. But at the end of the day I had many more conversations discussing with students how they would like to see SGA develop, the ways they respected it, and how they saw it growing in the future. These were the types of conversations that we were hoping for because it proved the fact that students really do care.

SEQUINO: Why is it so important for every student on campus to have a voice in the matter?

WALKER: Cairn is a place where there are a lot of people who think the same way. Many grew up in middle-class Christian families, went to church their whole lives, and now go to Cairn because it is a great Biblical University that holds to a lot of the ideals they grew up with. Truth of the matter is, not everyone who attends the university grew up that way. One of things I appreciate about Cairn is that it’s non-denominational. It attracts a lot of people coming from a specific church context, while still inviting others to join into that community. However, many students who do have the same cultural background as the majority of students at the university, do not always feel like they belong, nor do they feel as though they have a safe place to share why they feel that way.

When we interact in a meaningful way with those who are different from us, we get to see God in a much fuller way. 1 Corinthians 12 talks about how we are one body with many parts…so if we are constantly surrounded by those who take on a similar role to us, we are going to miss out on some major aspects of who God is. What good is it when we have a bunch of feet in a room together talking about things that only feet talk about? The point that Paul is making through this passage is this: I can never say I don’t need you, and you can never say you don’t need me. We’re all in this together. It’s important for everyone to have a voice because it highlights pieces to the puzzle that we may miss. When we only involve student leaders into the conversation and decision-making processes, we miss out on what a huge percentage of the student population is saying. Even though the clubs represent a majority of student interests, they are still only bringing what they are able to see to the table. The more voices we have, the fuller the picture we can see of what is truly going on.

SEQUINO: How do you hope to see SGA in action this upcoming fall?

WALKER: Student Government is ripe with opportunities to change the university culture in a way that will allow us as students to truly grow into competent men and women of character, who are ready to serve the church, society, and the world, in a meaningful way. My hope is that whoever is the next President will continue to build on the hard work that has already been done by the current Student Senate, as well as take it as an opportunity to allow student voices to truly be heard. We have the ability to make change happen, but it doesn’t always feel like it. SGA can be a place where students voices are heard and changes are made. Such as advocating for more diversity in chapel speakers, or building spaces where students who are not necessarily the “typical” Cairn student can share their thoughts and feelings. At most schools the Student Government Association is a place where students get to engage in taking on leadership roles in a significant way. I hope that the next SGA leaders will be empowered and encouraged to do that by the University, as well as the student body.

Editor’s Note: This petition was brought before the student leaders of the University’s clubs and organizations and, despite its signatures, did not receive the 2/3 majority vote necessary to open the vote for this year.  However, SGA has decided to allow ALL students to participate in a referendum. Ballots will be sent out to all students on Tuesday, March 6 at 9am and will close at midnight. Be sure to vote and have a voice in the matter.